In the field of computer networking in general and of Internet service providers (ISPs) in particular, the computational work is generally distributed among a substantial number of relatively inexpensive computer systems. The deployment of a large number of computer systems generates a need to effectively manage and control the various systems. A considerable amount of interconnection between the systems and supervisory equipment may be necessary in order to achieve the required management and control.
Generally, a single small computer has been employed to operate as a server. A drawback of this approach is that the computers employed are generally multi-function machines whose equipment and functionality incurs costs due to the equipment itself and due to the physical space required to house the equipment. The narrow dedicated task of operating as a communication server makes much of the equipment and functionality of a general purpose computer unnecessary. A wasted expense is therefore being incurred in the server systems of the prior art.
The square footage occupied by equipment at Internet service provider sites is an important cost factor for Internet service providers. Accordingly, where space is being occupied by equipment not necessary for operation of server equipment, money paid for such wasted space represents an ongoing wasted expense for the service provider. Such a wasted expense may be very economically detrimental in the highly competitive ISP market. A way to avoid such wasted expenditure is therefore desirable.
One prior art approach to reducing the expense associated with the square footage required for servers has been to miniaturize the componentry of server-computers and the boxes housing the servers as much as possible. Unfortunately, for many components, limits are encountered making further miniaturization either impossible or cost prohibitive. Certain devices such as power supplies and voltage converters (referred to hereafter as “converters”) are among the devices for which miniaturization beyond a certain point causes the increase in expense of the components to surpass the cost savings experienced by any reduction in required area enabled by the reduced component size. In other cases, reduction of components beyond a certain point is unavailable due basic physical laws.
Therefore, it is a problem in the art that prior art servers generally employ general purpose computers having a range of features which are not productively employed by the servers.
It is a further problem in the art that extraneous equipment and features of prior art server computers cause Internet service providers to incur costs which do not benefit the provision of Internet access.
It is a still further problem in the art that extraneous equipment and features cause prior art server computers to occupy valuable square footage without providing any benefit to the ISP.
It is a still further problem in the art miniaturization efforts as applied to server computers experience limitations due to physical lower limits on the size of certain devices.
It is a still further problem in the art that certain prior art miniaturization efforts are cost ineffective because a point is reached at which further miniaturization costs more money than is saved by the associated reduction in square footage of the server footprint.